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There are lots of ways to use your computer as a music source. But few of them are as simple and rewarding as connecting it to the Yamaha A-S801. This integrated amplifier has a USB input, so you can play digital tunes from your computer, including high-resolution files. Of course, this amp also offers lots of power to drive your stereo speakers. There are plenty of other inputs for disc players, a turntable, and even a TV or Blu-ray player. This versatility makes the A-S801 an excellent choice for anyone looking to design a fantastic two-channel rig with digital and analog capabilities.

Why choose between analog and digital? Hear the best of both!

There are lots of ways to use your computer as a music source. But few of them are as simple and rewarding as connecting it to the Yamaha A-S801. This integrated amplifier has a USB input, so you can play digital tunes from your computer, including high-resolution files. Of course, this amp also offers lots of power to drive your stereo speakers. There are plenty of other inputs for disc players, a turntable, and even a TV or Blu-ray player. This versatility makes the A-S801 an excellent choice for anyone looking to design a fantastic two-channel rig with digital and analog capabilities.

Digital connections with high-resolution playback

When you connect your computer to the A-S801's USB input, your digital tunes will benefit greatly from this amp's high-quality ESS SABRE digital-to-analog converter (DAC). It converts your digital files into analog signals, preserving all of their detail, for accurate sound. This DAC can also handle high-resolution music, including DSD files and 24-bit/192kHz PCM files. There are also optical and coaxial digital inputs — connect a TV or Blu-ray player to these inputs, and enjoy movie sound through your stereo speakers.

Great sound from any source

With digital or analog signals, this amp delivers sound that's dynamic and clear. Thanks to anti-resonance construction, a symmetrical circuit layout, and high-quality components, the A-S801 keeps distortion levels incredibly low for superb sound quality. If you need to make some adjustments as you listen, there are front-panel tone controls for bass and treble. There's also a loudness control, for bringing out more detail and depth while listening at low volume. Or, bypass these controls with Pure Direct mode, which eliminates signal degradation as your music travels a more direct circuit path. For listening to CDs, engage CD Direct Amplification — it matches the input levels of the source with the amp to further minimize noise introduced at the amplification stage.

Why Shop With Us?10 Reasons.

Yamaha A-S801 Reviews

Average Customer Review(s):

(35 Reviews)

Great sound

Frank from Mendota Heights, MN on 2/7/2018

This amplifier is a really good sounding equipment for the price. It is clear, no back ground noise. Has good dynamics and stereo separation. The phono stage is also good. The DAC from ESS Tech is another addition that puts this amplifier above the price point from competition. With hi-res audio it sounds wonderfull. Power is good to drive my Infinity RS 6 Kappa with the selector set LOW. I know this lowers watage, current or voltage in rail, but I don´t want to fry output transistors in medium to long time, and still have good dynamics to enjoy music from low to decent loud volume.
Reviews alone dont tell everything or anything at all. Given that it is possible to buy with possibility to return, I will suggest to give it a try. Take time to place speakers right, and do some hearing with quiet ambient, great chances you keep it.
There are a lot of options out there which sure will be also very good, I have hear this Yamaha A-S801 and liked a lot.

A wonderful buy

I purchased the A-S801 to replace my A-S500 which is going to be used elsewhere in the house. I did not expect a big bump up in performance but I was wrong. My Paradigm Titan Monitors are loving the added power. On this system, I listen exclusively to 2-channel music and could not be happier with the upgrade. You can never go wrong with Yamaha!

Pros:Clean, clean power and well, it's a Yamaha!

Cons:No visual volume levels on the unit itself or the volume control and of course the remote is useless in a darkened room, but being a longtime Yamaha fan, I knew that.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Great Sound at Great Price Range!

Perfect amp with many features to bring me back into time. My old Yamaha CA-1000 needed repairs and could not do without sounds. I wanted to upgrade to a higher quality amp but was out of stock and a little more than budget aloud. I purchased with Pay Pal that gave me credit line for enough to buy upgraded amp, so can I trade in for higher unit. All and all you cant get a better value for price and better have good speakers that this baby can drive. My 40 years old Ess amt1b sound so good and i couldn't be happier.

Pros:Great value

Cons:Remote does not turn off Yamaha T-S500 tuner off. Only controls stations

0 of 1 found this helpful

Yamaha A-S801

Hard to know where to begin this review, but first Crutchfield. Great company, great advisors and great advice, fast delivery.
Quality of this integrated amp: Replaced an old Dynaco preamp, power amp package that I love and still do love: however, the Yamaha does outperform the Dynaco. Undistorted highs and midrange sound, and, okay, I will go ahead and say it, lows that I have never before experienced. With its fancy integrated DAC it makes using a computer, although it is not necessarily built for using a computer as a music server, but it definitely has all the features needed for that. Totally unnecessary to have a stand alone DAC. Also it's wonderful to have a remote to handle the varying volume of ripped music files. Could say more, but that would be redundant. Folks, you can't go wrong buying this.

The best I've ever had

I am so glad I bought this amp instead of a cheaper model. This amp sounds fantastic. I am using the digital inputs since its DAC is better than anything else I have. I am also using the pure direct mode. It's the best piece of audio equipment I've ever owned. I can finally really enjoy music again. I did run a turntable in and it sounds ok but I love the digital inputs. The usb input is nice with hi res audio from a pc but I am happy with the 44/16 and 96/24 flacs run in through the digital inputs from my blu ray player. For my ears they are perfect. I love this amp.

Pros:Good DAC, pure direct mode for the best possible sound, plenty of power.

Cons:I wish they had an extra set of optical and coaxial digital inputs instead of so many analog but I don't need them right now anyway.

Great amp

I have this hooked up to some older, re-foamed Cerwin-Vega VS-120's. Good Lord this amp can crank these big old speakers! I haven't used all the digital inputs yet, but an old Sony CD player hooked up via RCA sounds really good so far.
There are only a few things I don't like, and they're minor; the knobs are plastic and feel cheap (come on Yamaha, give us metal at this price,) and the volume knob doesn't have a way for you to visually see where the volume is. And I would have loved some VU meters on the front.
Anyway, it's a very good sounding amp with a lot of analog and digital inputs. It sounds better the more it breaks in.

Pros:Sounds fantastic
Lots of inputs; digital and analog
Looks great
Can drive some big speakers to loud levels

Cons:Knobs are plastic
No visual on the volume setting
Would love some VU meters

1 of 1 found this helpful

High Definition Sound and Power

After twenty some years of home theater listening experience I wanted to recreate the great stereo system that I had in the 80's. The heart of that system had been a Yamaha A960 II integrated amplifier. I found this Yamaha A-S801 integrated amplifier to be comparable in watts of continuous power, power bandwidth and total harmonic distortion plus it had the new digital processing capabilities. I pulled out my home theater receiver and once the A-S801 was hooked up the very noticeable improvement in clarity and detail of sound confirmed I had made the right choice. Remote is great. Crutchfield service was super. Next - new speakers!

Pros:Great clarity, detail and plenty of power. Yamaha tradition of making great components is evident in this amplifier.

Yamaha A/S-801

Ordered to replace an old 1993 vintage Yamaha RX-V1070. Hooked up to a set of vintage Klipsch Belle speakers. The sound quality is very good, it is a good step up from the 1070, which was a top end receiver costing 1350 in it's day. My only complaint is that when pushed to higher volume level (approx. 1/2 way), it is definitely at it's limit and the sound quality does suffer. Maximum volume level is about 11:00, and as others have noted it's very hard to see from any distance, but you can hear it. For most people, this would be a great amp. I just like some music very loud. The amp is dead quiet also, the DAC seems pretty good, I tried a PS audio DAC iii and I couldn't hear a difference and the DAC iii is about 1k in price. Overall this is a very good amp for the money, It also had pretty good bass, if I hadn't already heard a Parasound Halo Integrated I would probably love it, but that's not a fair comparison at all considering the Halo is 2500 bucks. If you are looking for a good amp on a budget and don't need concert level sound, this is a very good amp.

Pros:Good price.
Good DAC.
Good sound quality.
Good dynamic punch.

Cons:Visibility of volume level.
Needs more power.

4 of 4 found this helpful

Step into the freezer

Shameful, really. I've called myself a music fan for years, and yet it took me 42 years to get a proper integrated amp. So glad I did. My A-S801 is connected to an Apple Airport Express through the optical connection to wirelessly stream ALAC files and Spotify. It is powering two B&W 683 S2 floor speakers. Simple setup, no more tinkering required. It has more than enough power to shake my living room windows with a raging Tweezer Reprise. I mainly use it for listening to rock, jazz, and funk, and would describe the sound as accurate, clean, and confident. It really shines with quieter acoustic recordings.

Yamaha A-S801

Worked for two days and stopped. My Yamaha electronics of thirty years ago seem more quality made. However, this product gets great reviews, and this could be an exception to the normal success of this item.

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5 of 11 found this helpful

Great Amp !!!

Great amp !!! You will not go wrong with this item. It is very versatile. You can connect your phone or ipad via bluetooth. You can connect directly to your laptop via USB cable. I have PSB tower speakers and they sound great with this amp.. I would buy this item again.

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9 of 9 found this helpful

Yamaha A-S801

Nice amp with array of inputs including phonograph. I needed 100 watts per channel to run 8 Ohm speakers, but not an amp designed for a gazillion home theater audio/video components. This model is powerful yet streamlined, in a decent price range. Love the remote, which actually physically rotates the volume dial, so I put a slice of white plastic tape on the (black) dial so I can see the volume level from across the room before I switch inputs. The Bluetooth accessory works great to run audio from devices.

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14 of 14 found this helpful

Worth every penny

Bought some new polk tsx550t's recently and i just wasnt that impressed with the sound through my old yamaha rxv 1500.Let me tell you this amp brought these to life.Clean sound throughout the range.This amp is well built and should last for years. Worth every penny and then some!

Yamaha A-S801

I was looking for a replacement for my Pioneer SX850 that I had enjoyed for 42 years !! I always loved the quality sound provided by the Pioneer. This
Yamaha was a super choice as it is a high quality sounding amplifier. I don't miss the tuner since everything today is digital.

Best $ I've ever spent on audio gear

I sold my antique McIntosh amp and preamp (C33, MC225) which I have owned since new in an effort modernize. I bought the 801 as part of my effort to go media-less. What I was unprepared for was the improvement in sonic quality. I'm hearing things playing my familiar reference material that I have never heard before.

Pros:Yamaha does a great job on the bang for buck with this piece

Cons:I would love them to combine the network connectivity functions of modern AV receivers with the no compromise sound of this two channel amp which sounds amazing.

11 of 11 found this helpful

retro look in a 21st century audio hub

You're always taking a risk when trying to match up an amp with speakers, but I lucked out buying the Yamaha to drive my B&W 684s2 and B&W 608 sub. My last amp wasn't a great match, leaving much to be desired - especially in the midrange where reproduction of the human singing voice(s) is paramount. The Yamaha is a delight, bringing my speakers to life in my difficult 12'x16' listening room with a hip roof that's 14' high at the peak.
At the same time, I replaced my aging CD player (with a decent Burr-Brown DAC) with the Cambridge CXC transport (from Crutchfield, of course). My reasoning was that I didn't need the DAC, since the DAC in the Yamaha is state of the art. I was right. It's been amazing listening to my CD library...it's like listening to them for the first time, always new wrinkles in the music. I should be quite happy with this setup for years to come, and I can't wait to try the high-res options that the USB DAC offers.

Pros:Great sounding and looking amp, lots of digital options for the future.

Cons:One VERY minor annoyance, my xfinity box will not control the Yamaha power on/off , but it does control volume up/down, which is more important to me. OK, so I do have to push the power on and off manually, but it's nowhere near a deal breaker.

Excellent Amp with a very nice Built in DAC.

This Yamaha amp is a really nice piece of audio equipment. I really love the "old school" look the A-Sxxx Series has. It's built very well, and is nearly 30 lbs which is telling of a quality amplifier.
My main use for this amp is 2.0 channel, connected to a HTPC. The main reason I purchased this amp was for it's USB DAC capabilities. The ESS Sabre DAC sounds excellent, and it has more than enough power to drive my relatively efficient pair of Klipsch RP-280F's. Tone controls really allow for a custom sound. I'm certain no matter what speakers you connect to this unit, they will sound great and be able to be tuned exactly to your liking.
In the future, I'd like to add the T-S500 Tuner, along with possibly the CD-S1000. It has all of the inputs needed for expansion in the future, which was important to me, they would also look very nice together which is a bonus.
The one thing I'm not a huge fan of is the plastic dials. For 900, They should be metal in my opinion. However, they do appear to be well built with a nice feel.

No frills 2 channel amp

Nice little amp, powers my older than dirt Def Tech BP-10's pretty well. Really opened up these speakers. Amp does seem to run quiet and you really get a very clean signal to the speakers. If you prefer you can run in "pure direct" mode . I also enjoy hooking up my sub to this little guy and another reason I purchased it was the option to run a sub woofer for low end. I really got no complaints but will say I would like to see a small led on the volume knob just so I could see where it is at from across the room.

Excellent Amp

The Yamaha is a nice addition. I recently acquired some Magnapan 1.6 planar speakers and I needed a high end amp. I was torn between tube (Peachtree) and solid state but opted for SS in the form of the Yamaha mainly due to the flexibility of different media that you can hook up. I like the fact that it has a built in DAC and a phono preAmp (for my 500 or so LPs).
The sound is great! I use the Puresound button for most music as the Maggie's have a beautiful natural sound. Acoustic instruments and voice sound like the performer is in the room with you. Power to drive the planar speakers is more than enough. I don't take it above 50% 12 o'clock position except in the case of a few LPs. Never past 1 o'clock position. For rock, I do turn the Puresound off and turn the bass control up just a bit as the Maggies' bass is not thundering deep.
I bought the recommended Yamaha Bluetooth adapter for the unit and it works fine once I figured out that I needed to set the source to the coaxial input BEFORE I synch the Bluetooth. If you try to do so with source on say, phono, it won't read.
The remote works ok and will control a CD player. But it is not a universal remote and so I have to believe it only controls Yamaha CD players which mine is not.

Pros:Flexibility of input media. Built in DAC and phono PreAmp. Power

Cons:No real issues

11 of 12 found this helpful

Excellent Amplifier

I have a small room that i converted to a "library" (or man cave as wife would call it) and needed an amplifier with DAC to attach my PC (only music on it) and stream pandora to it. I also purchased the Martin Logan LX16 from Crutchfield and the 2 make a wonderful combination. Thus far i have not used the DAC as I was busy listenting to pandora and other internet radio stations. I did purchase the Bluetooth accessory from yamaha as the amp has no wifi or bluetooth. The sound is crisp and (I am no audio expert and have hearing problems) makes my music come alive. It's been a long time since I enjoyed listening to music again! I did also purchase mediabridge speaker wire with banana plugs and inserting them is easy. In the next few weeks I will add my desktop (alienware alpha upgraded with SSD and only used for music file storage) and try the DAC. Looking forward to it!

Pros:easy setup and great sound

Cons:no built in Bluetooth (but i knew that)

17 of 19 found this helpful

Great amp for the price!!

I had a $1000 budget for an amp. I needed connectivity to my iTunes home share and wanted to do it via Ethernet. I have a pair of 4 ohm Thiel CS1.2 speakers which are power hungry and wasn't having any luck finding an amp that had both the power I wanted and an Ethernet connection in my price range. Phil from Crutchfield recommended instead of a networkable amp to connect optically this amp with an AppleTV (on sale for $69). This allows me to Airplay back to my iTunes database sitting on a AirPort Time Capsule. I couldn't be happier with the results. The sound is super clean at all volumes and power to spare!! I imported all my music from CD using ALAC and the Yamaha's DAC seems to handle that perfectly.

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20 of 21 found this helpful

Great integrated amp!

MartinK from Virginia on 2/4/2015

Really wonderful integrated amplifier, particularly as all my music is digital. The built-in DAC is very good and allows for playback of high quality downloads. Just listened to The Kinks Muswell Hillbillies in 24 bit/96khz. Super! The Yamaha feeds Polk RTI7s, and the combo sounds really amazing.

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13 of 16 found this helpful

Yamaha A-S801

Just what I was looking for. Very pleased with this amp. Purchased it to go with my ESS-AMT 1 towers. Getting a very clear, full sound out of the system. It has all the power I wanted and keeps a great sound at high and low volumes. I'm not very impressed with the 'cd-direct' option. I find a fuller sound when it's not in direct mode, and with my particular set-up I find the best sound is with just a little extra bass out of the amp (which is bypassed in direct mode). I should also note that I'm not using a subwoofer. Great amp and highly recommend it for anyone looking for these specs.

Product Research

Features

"Natural Sound" Concept: Yamaha, with a long history of over 125 years
as a musical instrument maker, also has a high reputation for HiFi components.
Yamaha's A-S801 integrated amplifier takes advantage of this rich experience and
high technological expertise. Based on the concept of "Natural Sound", for
reproducing all music as it really sounds, and built with scrupulous care from
circuit design to basic sound production, the A-S801 reproduces high sound
quality and musically rich sound.

ToP-ART Design: When processing and transmission of the audio
signal is simple and direct there is less chance of it being affected by
noise and distortion. Yamaha's amplifier design technology called "ToP-ART"
features an I/O (input to output) Direct Symmetrical Design, with left and
right channels organized in a straight, symmetrical layout for highest
signal purity.

High-Strength Chassis: In order to effectively dampen the
vibrations that have adverse effects on sound quality, the A-S801 chassis
has a double bottom design with a 1mm iron plate. A solid center bar
further enhances high rigidity and dampens vibrations.

ART (Anti-Resonance and Tough): In addition, the power
transformer and heat sinks in the power amp section are supported by an
extremely strong and stable ART (Anti-Resonance and Tough) base.

High Current Amplifier: The Yamaha A-S801 features a dynamic, high
current stereo amplifier with low impedance drive capability. The amp is rated
at 100 watts x 2-channels, measured from 20-20 kHz into 8Ω
with 0.019% THD (120 watts x 2-channels, measured from 20-20 kHz into 6Ω
with 0.038% THD).

ESS Sabre 32-Bit DAC: After careful listening evaluations, Yamaha selected
the 32-bit, two-channel SABRE Premier Audio DAC from ESS Technology, Inc. Most
notable is its high precision processing power of 32-bit audio along with the
ability to handle large amounts of audio data with full PCM 384 kHz and native
DSD 5.6 MHz. Since the built-in D/A converter generates its own master clock, an
original jitter elimination function is also included, permitting D/A conversion
with an extremely low impact of clock jitter. Moreover, a two-channel D/A
converter is housed inside the chip which applies a double differential
operation. The result is exceptional high performance and high quality signal
output with a superior signal to noise ratio.

High Quality Parts: Custom-made power transformer, custom-made block
capacitors, two direct signal path speaker relays, one-point grounding system,
aluminum-extruded heat sinks and other top-quality parts effortlessly handle
demanding audio signal conditions. The quality of each individual part, as well
as how they work together, basically determines the sound quality of any
component. Yamaha uses only very high quality parts, carefully selected and
tested.

Optional Bluetooth Adapter: You can wirelessly stream music
from a Bluetooth-compatible device, using the optional
YBA-11
Bluetooth Wireless Adapter. The adapter features aptX audio decoding for optimum
sound quality. The adapter connects to the A-S801 via a coaxial digital cable
and USB power cord, both supplied with the adapter.

Connections

Gold-Plated Terminals: The Yamaha A-S801 has gold-plated terminals for
all of its inputs and outputs. These gold-plated terminals ensure a high quality
connection that prevents signal loss.

USB (Type-B) Port: The USB DAC function supports native DSD (2.8 MHz and 5.6
MHz) and PCM (384kHz/32-bit*) resolutions. This function allows for a direct
connection to Windows PCs and Mac computers which opens the door to play back of the highest resolution
audio content offered today. The Yamaha-developed USB device controller has its
own master clock that eliminates PC jitter. The driver is a low loss, high
throughput ASIO 2.3 Yamaha Steinberg USB driver. During playback, indicators on
the front-panel clearly show which sampling frequencies are currently being used.
The amplifier's USB connection supports the following operating systems:

RCA + Phono: The Yamaha integrated amplifier is equipped with six
analog stereo (RCA) inputs for connecting external analog audio sources,
including a turntable. The Phono input can be used to connect a turntable
with an MM phono cartridge to play vinyl records. The unit's Phono input
also features a ground terminal.

Optical & Coaxial Digital Inputs: The A-S801 is equipped with
both optical (toslink) and coaxial (RCA) digital audio inputs. The optical
and coaxial inputs will accept 2ch PCM (not Dolby Digital/DTS). The audio stays in the digital domain, giving you pure,
pristine dynamic sound for all your entertainment sources, from sports and
other programs to movies and concerts.

Recording Outputs: There are also two pair of RCA outputs for
recording audio through the amplifier to recording device.

A & B Speaker Terminals: The Yamaha integrated amplifier features
binding post terminals for its A & B speaker outputs. You can use the A & B
speaker outputs to power two pair of speakers, or bi-wire a single pair of
compatible speakers. The terminals are not 5-way binding posts because a plastic
collar prevents their use with spade lugs and they are too far apart for dual
banana plugs.

Sub Output: A terminal for connecting a subwoofer is provided,
allowing you to increase the bass output of your system for a more powerful
sound with better overall sound quality

Headphone Output: The A-S801 integrated amplifier is
equipped with a front-panel 1/4" headphone output for connecting a pair of
headphones (sold separately). The headphone output and speaker outputs will work
simultaneously; you will need to rotate the speaker selector switch on the
front-panel to the Off position to turn off the sound from your connected
speakers.

Controls

Sophisticated Front-Panel Design: With a beautifully simple and unique
design inherited directly from Yamaha's HiFi audio components, this amplifier
also boast an easy-to-operate button layout. The aluminum front-panel has a
richly textured silver hairline finish. The control knobs are also of the same
luxurious construction as used on Yamaha's top-end models. The rotary encoder makes
it quick and easy to select input sources. The luxury hairline finish material
offers a nice tactile feeling. LEDs clearly show which source is selected, so
you can easily switch sources even in a dark room.

Simple Remote Control: The clean, simple design of the remote control
provides easy-to-understand one-hand operation. The easy-to-use design makes it
simple to adjust song volume and order. The remote has a sophisticated looking
hairline finish that matches the design of the amplifiers. You can also use the
remote to control a Yamaha CD/SACD player.

Variable Loudness Control: The A-S801 also feature a new analog
loudness control on the front-panel that uses electronic volume for higher sound
quality, which lets you adjust the loudness effect as desired. Separate from the
overall volume, this controls the balance of the low- and high- frequency
sounds, providing full tonal range at any volume level; compensating for the
natural loss in the human ear of high and low frequencies at soft levels.

Tone Controls: The integrated amplifier features independent bass (20 Hz) and
treble (20 kHz) controls so you can increase or decrease the low and high
frequency response (+/-10dB). You can also adjust the output balance of the left
and right speakers.

Impedance Switch: The integrated amplifier features a
rear-panel impedance switch to match the impedance level of the speakers
connected. Choose High or Low:

High: Select High if using one set (A or B) of speakers
with impedance of 6-ohm or higher; when bi-wiring the impedance of the
speaker must also be 6-ohms or higher.

Low: Select Low if using one set (A or B) of speakers
with the impedance of 4-ohm to 6-ohm; if using two sets (A and B) of
speakers simultaneously, the impedance of each speaker must be at least
8-ohms; when bi-wiring the impedance of the speaker must also be 4-ohms to
6-ohms.

Auto Power Standby: The amplifier has a power management function that
detects when it hasn't been used for a long time (about 8 hours) even though the
power is on, and automatically shifts it into standby mode. So even if you
forget to turn it off, power consumption will be minimized.

Our Product Research Team

At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team. They verify what’s in the box, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices.

Accessories

Q & A

Customer Q&A

Crutchfield askedWhy did you buy this?

Great sound & awesome power
[ Larry Lee Jan 08, 2018 ]

A big fan of Yamaha amps have had a A-1020 integrated amp since 1990 and it is still going! Yamaha is my go to amp manufacture
[ DOUGLAS Aug 12, 2017 ]

Bought a Yamaha Natural Sound amp in the early 1980s. Liked the sound until the left channel finally died. Looking forward to hearing what technology has done for sound since then!
[ Mark May 16, 2017 ]

from your web site and my own research appears to be modest priced high quality integrated amp,
[ Michael Apr 04, 2017 ]

Tried online chat to get some information on narrowing down choice for a new receiver that would meet my musical needs and work with my existing PSB speakers. Troy helped me narrow down choice so I ordered this item the same day.
[ Jim Jan 31, 2017 ]

Quality and price!
[ WILLIAM S Oct 15, 2016 ]

I am upgrading my sound equipment. I have researched this item and it more than meets my needs. It is the best Amp for the money.
[ Bernard Sep 11, 2016 ]

Has the features I wanted. Computer is my music server, but it has plenty of other inputs; has what should be plenty of power to run my 70's model vintage sets of speakers; lastly it has two sets of speaker outputs.
[ Terry Nov 27, 2017 ]

I chose this because of its clean look, and versatility of inputs and outputs. I will connect a digital recorder, a reel to reel player/recorder as well as a turntable and CD player. With this amplifier you even get to play PCM and DSD files directly from your computer. I absolutely love the sound from my older restored Yamaha C60/M60 but it's time to move on into the digital world. Compared to other brands, the Yamaha A-S801 offers tremendous value, I thought.
[ Michael Aug 24, 2016 ]

23 questions already asked

I only have experience with the A-S801 Black, but it drives two different sizes of KIipsch tower speakers perfectly for both chamber opera with clear, delicate high soprano voices AND the huge sound track for Game of Thrones.
[ Susan Nov 22, 2017 ]

I seem to recall there was a difference - what about the DAC chip? That can make all the difference - I have the 801 and it's a simple but great sound producing music amp!!
[ vijay Nov 22, 2017 ]

The DACs sound different. I think the as701 has a more smooth sound. The as801 has better dynamics and is little more exciting to listen to. Both are good though, depends what you like. The as801 also has a USB input so you can run high res audio - DSD etc...
[ Benjamin Nov 22, 2017 ]

Can't say about 2 ohms, but I am pushing a pair of Martin Logan Motion60's at 4 ohms with no issues - though it is in an open cabinet. I have been very pleasantly surprised with this amp. Simple, elegant, powerful, and easy to use.
[ William Mar 14, 2017 ]

I would recomend connecting with USB. It will sound better than other connections. Run a USB cable from the Mac mini's USB port to the USB in port on the back of the S-A801. In the mini, open the midi set up select the Yamaha USB ,then got to preferencs >speakers and select Yamaha and you should ready to go. The S-A801 manual has all of this too. Happy Listening
[ Jeffrey Mar 18, 2017 ]

The sound quality is the same. either port can handle Hi_rez files. I've read there can be more issues with USB out than the toslink which is out of the headphone jack. I use the toslink on my iMac and hit sounds superb going into my A-s801. I've used both and neither mattered so I use the toslink to free up a USB port on my iMac. IT's a great amp. You won't regret buying it. It's popular in the audiophile circles I run in if you don't want to spend a fortune on an amp.
[ Peter Mar 12, 2017 ]

I didn't compare both alternatives, but the "classical" and probably most straightforward way to connect both devices is via Toslink and a Mini Toslink Adapter for the Mac Mini headphone jack. A third alternative would be to connect both devices via an Apple TV and AirPlay: The Mac Mini would be connected to the Apple TV via AirPlay, and the Apple TV is connected to the Yamaha 801 via Toslink optical cable. The advantage of this connection method is that you can easily integrate any other Apple device as a music player, e.g. an iPhone, iPod or iPad.
[ Robert Mar 11, 2017 ]

Not using either - but the rca audio videos are fine - optical or USB could only be better!!
[ vijay Mar 11, 2017 ]

Haven't tried the optical, but the USB works great with my MacBook Pro as the music server..
bw
[ Vickie Mar 11, 2017 ]

Yes it is. I picked it because a class D amp generates very little heat, and I had to put the amp inside of an enclosed cabinet. I have had it for a year, and I love it. The sound is as good as my class A/B NAD amp that generates so much heat it will cut itself off unless it is in the open.
[ William B. Feb 11, 2017 ]

Hey Chuck , the A-S801 literature does not say but it acts and sounds like an A/B under normal circumstances. I have been running this amp for about ten months and the speakers I have currently are very efficient and present an 8 ohm load and it sounds very good. The A-S801 has some very nice features also. If it's class D I would be surprised, however if you are running speakers with a 4 ohm load am not sure how good it would be. For the money it's a great amp with great features and I would bet it's not class D
[ JOEL Feb 11, 2017 ]

Thanks for your question. For pricing information or possible price matches please reach out to an Advisor by phone (1-800-324-9695) or online chat. They should be able to help answer your question.
[ Kenny Dec 19, 2016 ] Staff

I forwarded your question to an Advisor and they responded with the following:
The USB input on the Yamaha is not rated for an Apple device, so you wouldn't be able to connect an iPod through the USB.
If you would like to discuss further you can contact an Advisor directly by phone (1-800-324-9695) or online chat.
[ Krissy Apr 01, 2015 ] Staff

I believe the difference between 4 and 8 ohm output is pretty universal, but i could be wrong... Most companies just list the 8 ohm rating. I don't know the 4 ohm rating either, but I was comparing this amp to a similar peachtree amp which does list both 4 and 8 ohm ratings and the 4 is about 60% stronger. I think you'll be fine with this amp. My speakers are also 4ohm and the sound/power is fantastic. Hope this helps!
[ John Feb 05, 2015 ]

The sound from a turntable is as natural as hearing it live, but there can be noise along with left/right channel audio alignment issue from the needle touching the album. Digital audio does not have that noise and almost always does not have the alignment issue. However, where it is digital, it does not have a smooth sound wave to it and a handful of people have been able to hear that! I don't' think there is a clear winner for overall sound. Now, we do have advisors that can discuss your preferences and things to give you a personal recommendation on this. You can reach on by calling 1-800-324-9695.
My Bio: http://www.crutchfield.com/Support/Bio.aspx?bio=101[ Paul Dec 31, 2017 ] Staff

Edward
Sorry I can't answer your question because as of yet I have not used the DAC interface as a source to compare with the analog output of the turntable. However I am in the process of setting up a digital library and intend to do so fairly soon. I can note at this time the Yamaha S801 is a fine integrated amp and to the extent I have used its non DAC features, including using a turntable as a source, the Yamaha S801far exceeded my expectations and am very happy with its performance.
Steve
[ Stephen Dec 28, 2017 ]

I have these components and they sound amazing. I dig this system the most, Man.
[ Van Dec 30, 2016 ]

With a true 90 watts of rms power per channel in the A-S801, it should be
able to power your Polk LSI M703 speakers just fine. The polka are fairly efficient
at 88 she sensitivity . You will find they will play quite loud with 10 to 20 watts.
Unless ofcourse you are a head banger, then 200 watts per channel won't be enough.
[ Jeffrey Dec 30, 2016 ]

I think they are a great match. This amp has a lot of clean neutral power. Crisp high's and very clean snappy bass, in a good way. The first thing that jumped out when I hooked up this amp was how well it controlled the bass. Strongly recommend this amp. The crutchfield advisor at the time recommended this model over a few higher priced integrated amps they sell.
[ Peter Dec 30, 2016 ]

I suppose your assumption is correct. I can't make a statement on the sound quality of the R-S700, but I don't think the weaker connection options of the A-S801 (with regards to your specific needs) will be overcompensated by it's superior overall architecture.
I purchased the A-S801 just because of one unique and outstanding feature: it's high quality SABRE digital audio converter (DAC). In combination with it's optical line in, I can stream digital sound right into the A-S801, without pre-converting it to analog signal in a device with a weaker DAC (e. g., like embedded in Apple's lightning docking station). The conversion is performed by the A-S801's DAC - the resulting sound is simply great (as long as the speakers are also high quality).
[ Robert Sep 30, 2016 ]

I haven't used it ,but I believe it is to plug your computer into, to play your audio files.
[ charles Aug 09, 2016 ]

you can connect it to a pc and play music files
[ ROBERT Aug 06, 2016 ]

Hi Joshua,
This is how you use your amplifier's Digital Analog Converter (DAC) to play digital music from your computer and convert it to analog. There is an explanation in the owners manual. You do need a USB B male end and USC C male end to plug into your computer just like a printer. You need to download software onto your computer and install. This is explained in the owners manual, and was very easy.
This is the reason I bought this amplifier as it had this DAC capability.
Hope this was helpful.
Mark
[ Mark R. Aug 06, 2016 ]

Although I haven't used mine, as I understand it, it is for the ability to connect a computer (laptop for example) to the receiver to play back music files on the computer via a USB cable. Also, as I understand it, you cannot just hook up an MP3 player to do this. It must be an actual computer for some reason. Hope this helps.
[ ROBERT Aug 06, 2016 ]

It's common for DAC's to use this type of connection. AudioQuest makes good ones for this application.
[ James Aug 05, 2016 ]

Best way to buy the Yamaha Bluetooth dongle (Yamaha YBA-11) and connect using bluetooth
[ Jung Aug 11, 2016 ]

Plug it into the USB port!
[ Van Aug 06, 2016 ]

Yamaha has an optional Bluetooth receiver that you can use to stream audio from your iPhone and iPad . For the MacBook connect a USB cable between your MacBooks USB A port to the AS 801's USB B port on the back. Set up the audio connection in the midi and speaker function in the MacBooks preferences. You should be able to stream songs directly from your iTunes library. Oh, make sure iTunes is in session before setting the audio functions. Happy streaming
[ Jeffrey Aug 06, 2016 ]

Use the USB port. Simply connect a AB usb cable from your computer to the AS 801.
[ Tony Aug 06, 2016 ]

Buy Apple TV (3rd generation is fine, 4th not needed), connect the Apple TV to the Yamaha AS 801 via the digital optical connector (Toslink), and stream your music from iPad, iPhone, MacBook to the Apple TV. Set the input selector of the Yamaha AS 801 to "Optical" - that's it.
[ Robert Aug 06, 2016 ]

It has a DAC. All you need is a usb cable (like one that you would use with a printer) and it connects right to the Mac.
[ ROBERT Aug 06, 2016 ]

Joshua,
You will need to add a Sonos as a component (and I recommend also getting a Sonos Boost) and then you will be good to go!
[ Andrew Aug 05, 2016 ]

The device has no local storage. It is not an external drive/ DAC combo, but rather a receiver with an excellent onboard DAC and the ability to connect to a computer via a USB A- USB B cable. To do this, you simply run the cable from a USB port on your computer (Audirvana Plus has very good instructions for choosing the best USB port for this) to the USB input on the back of the receiver (see photos on Crutchfield's page for the item).
It has a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) rating of less than 2%, which is lower than most external DACs and receivers in this price range or higher and sounds phenomenal. I couldn't recommend it more highly.
[ James Aug 05, 2016 ]

I'm assuming it would be.. The Sabre DAC is great, I don't see why they would put a separate one in for optical or coaxial. I have this system myself and use the DAC on a daily basis and it has been fantastic. I highly recommend it.
[ ROBERT Jun 26, 2016 ]

That would be my guess. It's hard to imagine they would use more than one DAC in a stereo receiver, especially when they tout the inclusion of the Sabre so proudly. The receiver sounds phenomenal, regardless, and it's hard to beat the low THD level, for the price.
That said, if you want to know for sure, I would simply call Yamaha. They have very friendly, knowledgable support staff.
[ James Jun 26, 2016 ]

Yes, there is one DAC for all the digital inputs.
[ Jeffrey Jun 26, 2016 ]

You could attach an iPod (Lightning) Dock to one of the line in connector pairs of the A-S801. Disadvantage of this solution: The sound is remarkably worse than that of a pure digital transmission, as it seems to me that the DAC embedded in the Apple iPod Dock doesn't have a high-end digital-to-analogue converter chip inside.
If you own a newer "lightning" iPod, I don't see any alternative to streaming, because any previously manufactured high-end (hi-fi) DACs are not available with a lightning connector. Therefore, I decided to purchase an Apple TV when I purchased the Yamaha A-S801 Silver. The Apple TV is directly attached to to the optical input connector of the Yamaha A-S801. Music from the iPod is streamed to the AppleTV via AirPlay, which means the sound is transmitted to the AppleTV and from the AppleTV to the Yamaha amplifier purely digital, without any conversion. The final conversion happens inside the A-S801 which has a very good DAC chip inside. I found the sound to betty very good if I use the iPod/AppleTV/Yamaha combination in this way.
[ Robert Nov 02, 2015 ]

I have no idea, i simply use my YAMAHA s 800 to lesson to cd or tape with great speakers. The sound quality is delightful for me !!! ( i'm definitely an old fashion music lover )
[ DANIEL E Nov 01, 2015 ]

no problem... two sets at the same time if you choose a + b ... I did a lot of research on 2 channel stereos before I bought this one... specs are excellent, build quality excellent and under a $1000...
[ DENNIS Aug 28, 2015 ]

You bet.
[ Van Aug 28, 2015 ]

By Marantz 200 watt speakers you are referring to Marantz speakers that can "handle" 200 watts, presumably at 8 Ohms impedance (pretty standard). Since the amp has a Speaker A (Left and Right), a Speaker B (Left and Right), and a Speaker A + B (Left and Right on each of two different sets of speakers) you are golden: yes, you can run all 4 speakers provided that you satisfy the following criteria: this amp needs to be configured for either 8 Ohm minimum or a 12 Ohm minimum when running A + B, meaning that you really need to ensure that both your sets of speakers are 8 Ohm impedance minimum. To the best of my knowledge, the 901's are in fact 8 Ohm, but you'll have to check the plaque on your speakers or the owners manual to ensure that the Marantz are 8 Ohm too. You should not (to the best of my knowledge) run an 8 Ohm set of speakers and a 4 Ohm set of speakers on the A + B configuration on this amp.
[ Leo A. Aug 28, 2015 ]

I forwarded your question to an Advisor and they responded with the following:
The AS801 buttons are designed with the same sturdier materials used in the Hi-FI components from Yamaha, and have a very sturdy well-made feel.
If you would like to discuss further you can contact an Advisor directly by phone (1-800-324-9695) or online chat.
[ Krissy Apr 14, 2015 ] Staff

Sorry Dude, My amp is only hooked up to PC (via USB) and a turntable, so no idea about other inputs.
[ Van Mar 09, 2015 ]

Hi John, Thanks for your prompt reply. Does coaxial cable or optical cable produce the same sound if I connect it to the back of Yamaha A-S801 to a DVD player? If my speakers have 4?, can I still choose either 10 or 12 gauge cable? Thanks for your help.
Richie
[ Richie Mar 09, 2015 ]

Yes, you will get the same sound quality from a DVD player as a CD player. The amp is doing all the important work. For speaker cables, use any 10 or 12 gauge cable. "high end" speaker cables are just gonna cost you more. It's just copper. Hope this helps.
[ John Mar 09, 2015 ]